A Solution That Makes Sense Drug courts provide a new path
Since 2005, some defendants facing charges for drug possession in Anne Arundel County have been offered the option to choose addiction treatment rather than going to jail. Like other drug courts around the U.S., the Anne Arundel County Drug Court is designed to handle nonviolent criminal defendants and offenders, juvenile offenders, and parents with pending child welfare cases who have alcohol and other drug dependency problems. Drug courts have proven to be an effective form of intervention, and are widely recognized as such by the criminal justice system. The first drug court was implemented in Florida in 1989. As of June, 2014, there were more than 3,400 adult and juvenile drug courts active in the U.S. New Life Addiction Counseling and Mental Health Services frequently receives clients referred for treatment by the Anne Arundel County Drug Court, according to Clinical Director Noreen Ammons. Ammons says the drug court concept is valid and valuable as a “rehabilitation rather than punishment” approach to one of the major problems facing society. “Drug courts are great; we need more of them.”
As of June, 2015, the Anne Arundel County Drug Court had served more than 435 participants and has had 164 graduates. In addition to saving lives and deterring victimization and recidivism, the drug court program saves money. According to data developed by the county, housing a jail inmate costs about $100 per day or $36,000 per year. During one typical week in 2015, there were 89 people participating in the Anne Arundel County program. Housing those 89 people in the county jail for one year would cost more than $3 million, according to the county. By contrast, the drug court program costs approximately $330,000 for one year, including addiction treatment costs.
“It is not an easy path.”
— Noreen Ammons, clinical director, New Life
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